Water-measuring apparatus.



1. W. GAMBLE.

WATER MEAsumNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22,19l3.

, Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

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'UNITES S ATES ATENT FFICE.

JOSEPH W. GAMBLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO HARRISONSAFETY BOILER WORKS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COPARTNERSHIP.

WATER-MEASURING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 22, 1913.

To all ywhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I/V. GAMBLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWater-Measuring Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for measuring water of the characterin which the water is measured as it flows over a weir by measuring thehead of water with reference to the depth of a notch in the Weir.

The invention is of special utility in connection with apparatus of thecharacter disclosed in Patent No. 1,015,556, dated J anuary 23, 1912.

Measuring apparatus of the character to which the present inventionrelates is commonly employed for measuring water supplied to asteam-generating apparatus and for this purpose may be combined with afeed-water heater for preliminarily heating the Water or may be used inconjunction with such a heater though constructed as a wholly separatepiece of apparatus. In such apparatus, the measuring devices em ployedfor measuring the Water are actuated by a float which is responsive tochanges in the level of the water in the chamber 0n the approach side ofthe Weir. It will be readily appreciated that in such an apparatus, itis of great importance that the water on the approach side of the weirshould be free from currents which would disturb its level. For thisreason, it Vhas been common heretofore to make apparatus of thischaracter in a form providing three chambers, a down-take chamber, anapproach or still-water chamber and an outboard or discharge chamber.Also, in this apparatus as heretofore constructed, it has beenconsidered necessary to make the outboard or discharge chamber ofsubstantial size in order that it will, by reason of its size, modify tosome extent fluctuations of the water level in the discharge chambercaused by the time interval which elapses Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 802,384.

between the passage of Water past the inlet valve of the apparatus andthe time when this water gets into the outboard chamber.

The present invention involves the provision of certain improvements inthe construction of apparatus of this character as heretofore madewhereby the construction is materially simplified and whereby the sizeof the apparatus maybe substantially reduced so that a considerableeconomy in the cost of the apparatus is effected.

In accordance with this invention, the employment of a down-take chamberis eliminated and the inlet water is admitted to the approach chamber,this being made permissible by the provision of means in the approachchamber for suppressingcurrents of water therein. The inlet water is ledto tbe bottom portion of the approach chamber and is allowed to risetherein' and one or more screens are employed in the approach chamberthrough which the water rises and which serve to prevent any disturbanceof the level of the water in the approach chamber. As a result of thischange in the construction of the apparatus, a simpliication is effectedinvolving the elimination of the down-take chamber. Furthermore, thisconstruction permits of reducing the size of the outboard chambermaterially and the cost of manufacture of the appa ratus is thussubstantially reduced. The present invention also includes certainimprovements in the automatic control of the admission of water to theapparatus responsive to changes of the water level within the outboardchamber. In an application for a patent filed by me October 28, 1913,and serially numbered 797,738, I disclosed apparatus of this characterwhereby the rate of admission of water to the apparatus wasautomatically increased as the level of the water in the outboardchamber fell between certain limits, whereby the rate of admission ofwater was maintained sub stantially constant while the level in theoutboard chamber fell between certain lower limits and whereby a furtherincrease in the rate of supply .of water would take place when the levelof the water in the outboard chamber fell to certain lower limits. Thepresent invention involves a specific form of apparatus for operating inaccordance with my application above referred to, this apparatusinvolvingr the use of an inlet valve having a valve-member provided withtwo or more ports which are spaced apart and which are arranged to beopened successively with a time interval between such successiveopenings as the level of the water in the outboard chamber changes.

I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of themeasuring apparatus connected to a feedwater heater, Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical section of the measuring apparatus, Fig. 3 is anelevation of one end of the measuring apparatus and Fig. 4 is asectional detail view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to these drawings, 5 indicates a feed-water heater forpreliminarily heating water to be supplied to a boiler. The water entersthe heater 5 through an inlet pipe 6 and steam enters the heater througha steam pipe 7, a separator 8 being inserted between the pipe 7 andheater 5. The measuring apparatus 9` is connected to the heater 5 by apipe 10 through which water passes from the heater to the measuringapparatus, and water may be drawn off from the measuring apparatus andconveyed to the boiler through pipe 11. The measuring apparatus consistsof a receptacle in which is a vertically disposed wall 12 dividing thereceptacle into two chambers, an approach or still-water chamber 13 andan outboard or discharge chamber 14. This wall 12 has a notch 15 in theupper edge thereof and it constitutes a weir over which the water Howsfrom the chamber 13 to the chamber 14. The incoming water is admitted tothe lower portion of the chamber 13. This is preferably done lbyproviding a hood 1G over the end of the inlet pipe 10 which directs theincoming water downwardly to the bottom portion of the chamber 13, Apipe 17 extends through the hood 16 so as to prevent the accumulation ofair under the hood. Within the approach chamber 13 are one or morescreens 18, two such screens being shown in the present instance. Thewater admitted to the apparatus through pipe 10 rises within theapproach chamber 13 through the openings in these screens 18 and thescreens therefore serve to break up or suppress any currents or swirlingof the water caused by the movement of the water through pipe 10 andinto the chamber 13. By reason of the provision of these screens 18, thelevel of the water in chamber 13 will be smooth and therefore the rateof flow of the water over the Weir will be a function of the head ofWater in chamber 13 with respect to the notch of the vveir.

The flow of water from inlet pipe 10 into the approach chamber isautomatically controlled in response to changes of the level of thewater in the discharge chamber 14. For this purpose, a float 19 isprovided in chamber 14 and is arranged to govern the.

admission of water to the apparatus in a manner hereinafter described.

The measurement of the water is effected by a measuring apparatus 20actuated by a float which rises and falls .with the level of the waterin the approach chamber 13. For this purpose, a receptacle 21 isprovided within chamber 14 and connected by a pipe 22 with the chamber13. Preferably a strainer 23 is provided upon the end of pipe 22. Afloat 24 in the receptacle 21 is connected by a rod 25 to the recorderof the measuring apparatus 20, this recorder being arranged to move overa traveling record sheet. The recorder is shown only diagrammatically,as the same is of known construction. Any recorder may be used in whichthe variations of level of float 24 cause a corresponding record to bemarked on a record sheet, the sheet preferably be ing actuated byclockwork and the marking device moving in any suitable manner, inresponse to the movement of the float, to form a suitable permanentrecord of the water level and hence the head of water passing over theweir during the operation of the apparatus.

In supplying water to the apparatus, it is desirable that the rate ofsupply be inI creased as the level of the water in the out-i boardchamber 14 falls. But if this rate of supply be made to vary directlywith the water level in the outboard chamber, it will be found that anundesirable fluctuation of the level in chamber 14 takes place and thatthe record of the supply of water to the steam-generating apparatus isnot as accurate as is desirable. In the drawings, I have shown apparatusfor modifying the rate of supply of water to the measuring apparatuswith respect to the changes in the level of the water in the outboardchamber whereby more accurate results may be obtained. The end of inletpipe 10 projecting into the approach chamber has two openings 26 and 27therein spaced apart by the wall 28 and on this end of pipe 10 is amovable valve-member 29 in the form of a sleeve, this sleeve beingprovided with an opening 30 of a circumferential width equal to orslightly greater than the aggregate width of the openings 26 and 27 andthe wall 28. On the movable valve-member 29 is a sector gear 31 meshingwith a gear 32 which is secured to the shaft 33 on which the loat 19 ismounted. As a result of this construction, the downward movement of thefloat 19, as the level of the water in chamber 1l falls, will causeopening oi the ports QG and Q7 ot the valve successively with asubstantial interval between the two. The construction is preferablysuch that as the level ot the water in chamber 14 falls from thatindicated bv the line 3l to that indicated by the line Si., the movablevalvemember 20 will be turned so as to open the port Q6 more and more,but as the level falls beyond this point Ytrom the line to the line 3G,the rate of supply of water will not be increased, the port 26 remainingwide open and the port 2T not being open at all by reason of the amountit is spaced 'from the port 36. When the level ot the vater falls belowthat indicated by the line 3G. the port QT will be opened and the extentoic its opening will be increased as the level ol' the water falls tothe line 37 when both ports 2G and QT will be wide open. In this way,the normal supply ot water to the measuring apparatus admitted by theport 2G given ample opportunity to replenish the supply ot water in theapparatus aiter water is drawn oil through the pipe 11 and theadditional supply ot water through the port QT is brought into actiononly when water drawn from the apparatus in such large quantity or atsuch a high rate that the normal supply ot water is insuiiicient.

Having describei'l my invention, what l claim as new therein and desireto secure by Letters Patent ot the United States is:

l. In water measuring apparatus. the combination ot a receptacle havingan approach and an outboard chamber and a wall between them constitutinga wcir over which water Hows i'roni the approach to the outboardchamber, an inlet pipe connected to they approach chamber. ahorizontally disposed screen in the lower part of thc approach chamlier,means tor directing water from said pipe to the space in said approachchamber below said screen, a connection to thc outboard chamber fordrawing water therefrom, and means for measuring the How of water oversaid weir responsive to changes et' water lever in the approach chamber,substantially as set `forth.

'2. ln water measuring apparatus, the combination ot' a receptaclehaving an approach and an tutboard chamber and a wall between themconstituting a weir over which water flows from the approach to theoutboard chamber, an inlet pipe connected to the approach chamber, ahood within the approach claniber mounted over said inlet to directwater admitted through the inlet pipe to the bottom of the chamber,means 'ior preventing accumulation of air under the hood, means in saidappr ach chamber to suppress swirling of the water as it rises in saidchamber, and a pipe lor withdrawing air from the outboard chamber,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a receptacle, a vertical wall in the receptacledividing the same into approach and outboard chambers, said wall beingnotched at its upper edge to form a weir, an inlet pipe connected to theapproach chamber, a hood within the approach chamber mounted over saidinlet to direct water admitted through the inlet pipe to the bottom ofthe chamber, a horizontally disposed screen in the approach chamber,water measuring api'iaratus responsive to changes ot water level withinthe approach chamber. a valve in the inlet pipe, means for controllingsaid valve responsive to changes of water level in the outboard chamberand a pipe for witlulrawingi` water from the outboard chamber,substantially as set forth.

Yl. yl`he combination of a receptacle, a wall therein dividing thereceptacle into two chambers and forming a weir over which water llowtrom the irst chamber to the second, an inlet pipe connected to thefirst c iamber. a valve therein having a rotatable ralve-member, and acoperating stationary valvc-memlar, a lioat in the second chamber.connections 4trom the float to the rotatable valve-member for rotatingsaid member as the float is moved, said rotatable and stationaryvalvcuncmbcrs being provided, one with two ports spaced apart and theother with an oiliening therethrough of a circimiterential length atleast equal to the sum of the lengths of the said two ports and thespace therebetween, and a measuring ap iaratus responsive to changes ot'water level within the tirst chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. ln water measuring apparatus, the combination ot a receptacle, a walltherein dividing the receptacle into two chambers and forming a weirover which water tlows from the first chamber to the second, an inletpipe connected to the first chamber, a i alve therein comprising arotary sleeve and a coacting stationary member, one of the same havingports so arranged with respect to a port in the other that as saidsleeve is rotated in one direction. water is admitted through said valveat an increasing rate, then for a period at a constant rate, and then ata further increased rate, a float in the second chamber and connectionsfrom the [loat to said sleeve for rotating the latter as the float ismoved in response to changes in the level ot water in said chamber,substantially set forth.

(l. The conibination ot a receptacle, a wall therein dividing thereceptacle into two chambers and forming a weir over which water flowsfrom the first chamber to the second, an inlet pipe connected to theirst chamber, a valve therein having coacting valve-members, one of thesame being rotatable with respect to the other, a loat in the secondchamber, connections from the float to the rotatable one of saidvalve-n1em bers for moving the latter as the float is moved, one of saidvalve-members having two ports therein spaced apart so as to open 10successively as the valve is operated and a JOSEPH W. GAMBLE.

Witnesses:

D. S. EDMoNDs, I. MCINTosH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents` Washington, D. C.

Correctonin Letters Patent No. 1,171,035.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,171,035, grantedFebruary 8, 1916, upon the application of Joseph W. Gamble, ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 1 for an improvement in Water-IvieasuringApparatus, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 3, line 51, claim l, for 1 the word leverread level; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the easeIi in the Patent Ofce. Signed and sealed this 29th day of February, A.D., 1916. i' [SEAL] R. F. WHITEHEAD,

j Acting Commissioner of Patents. C1. 73--167.

